Tanv 


Duke  University  Libraries 

The  farewell  me 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #475 


8o     He    g-iveth     His     beloved    sleep." 


THE  FAREWELL  MESSAGE 

TO     HIS     OLERO^ST: 

THE      ADDRESS 

DELIVERED    AT   THE   FUNERAL, 

BT     THE 

RT.    REY.    STEPHEN    ELLIOTT,    D.    D., 

BISHOP    OF   GEORGIA  ; 

AND 

OBITXJ^IiY     T^fOTICE© 

OF     THE 

RT.  REV.  MCHOLAS  UAMAER  COBRS,  D.  D., 

LATE   BISHOP    OF    ALABAMA. 


"the  eighteocs  shall  be  in  everlasting  remembrance." 


MONTGOMERY : 

BARRETT,     WIMBISH     &     CO.,     STEAM    PRINTERS. 

1861. 


George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 

FAMILY  OF 

COLONEL  FLOWERS 


.Ca        \\  .a.a     A.     \jL\j\jxJ     iii-n. 


.^  x^^x.  OP    THE  Holy  Ghost 
ANi)    OF  Faith/' 


OBITUARY 


It  18  with  a  most  unfeigned  sorrow  that  we  formally  announce  the  death  of 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Nk-holas  IIamxer  Cobbs,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  Alabama.  He  expired 
at  his  residence  In  this  city,  at  20  minutes  past  12  M.,  Friday,  January  11th, 
1S61. 

He  died  as  he  would  wish  to  die,  in  the  bosom  of  his  family,  surrounded  by 
his  weeping  children— by  his  Clergy,  scarcely  less  dear  than  his  children— by 
devoted  friends,  by  the  poor  who  were  the  pensioners  of  his  bounty,  and  by 
his  mourning  servants.  After  a  long  and  paitiful  illness,  which  he  had  borne 
with  Christian  fortitude,  sustained  by  the  consolations  of  that  Eeligion  of 
which  he  was  so  bright  an  exemplar,  he  sank  gently  to  his  rest  without  a  mur- 
mur or  a  sigh,  as  if  it  had  been  a  breathing  sleep.  Long,  long,  will  his  be- 
reaved family,  long  will  this  community,  in  which  he  lived  and  which  his  vir- 
tues adorned,  long  will  the  Diocese,  whose  honored  Father  and  Head  he  was,  and 
the  Church  at  large,  mourn  their  great,  their  irreparable  loss.  A  great  and  a 
good  man  has  fallen ! 

Bishop  CoBBS  was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Virginia,  February  5, 1T95.  He 
was  ordained  Deacon  by  the  Rt.  Eev.  Bishop  Moore,  in  Trinity  Church,  Staun- 
ton, Virginia,  May  2:3d,  1S24  ;  and  though  reared  in  the  Church.on  the  same 
day  he  was  confirmed  and  admitted  for  the  first  time  to  the  Holy  C'>mmanion. 
After  the  lapse  of  a  year,  he  was  advanced  to  the  Priesthood  by  the  same  Bish- 
op, in  Monumental  Church,  Richmond,  Virginia.  Immediately  upon  his  ordi- 
nation he  entered  upon  his  ministerial  duties  in  Eussel  Parish,  in  his  native 
county.  He  found  it  withbut  churches  and  without  communicants.  He  left 
there,  after  fifteen  years  of  labor,  two  substantial  brick  churches  and  a  hundred 
communicants. 

In  the  year  1S2S,  four  years  after  his  ordination,  he  was  elected  clerical  Dep- 
uty from  the  Diocese  of  Virginia  to  the  General  Convention  of  the  church  ;  a 
post  he  continued  to  fill  by  successive  re-elections  so  long  as  he  remained  in 
the  Diocese.  The  journals  of  that  dioeese  abound  with  the  evidences  of  his 
high  reputation  there,  as  a  Christian,  Divine,  and  Scholar. 


mmm 


In  1884,  at  the  instance  of  the  Convention  of  Virginia,  lie  accepted  the  Chap- 
laincy of  the  University  of  Virginia,  and  filled  the  position  with  great  credit 
and  repute. 

In  1839,  he  was  called  to  the  charge  of  St.  Paul's  Clitirch,  Petersburg,  Va., 
under  circumstances  somewhat  peculiar.  The  same  zeal  and  devotiofl  accom- 
panied him  into  his  new  field  of  labor,  and  were  attended  with  like  results. 
Diflficulties  were  harmonized— the  Church  was  built  up  in  numbers  and  in  faith. 
At  one  time  a  class  of  ninety-three  persons  were  confirmed  in  his  Parish;  His 
Church  became  too  small  to  hold  the  worshippers,  and  a  new  Parish  was  or- 
ganized, and  a  Church  was  built  by  his  congregation,  and  still,  at  the  end  of 
his  four  years  there,  he  had  doubled  the  number  of  communicants  in  his  own 
Parish. 

In  1843,  he  accepted  the  Eectorship  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Cincinnati,  having, 
in  the  meanwhile,  (1842,)  been  created,  under  circamstances  highly  honorable 
to  himself,  a  Doctor  of  Divinity,  by  Geneva,  now  Hobart  College,  New  York. 

The  Church,  however,  had  need  of  his  services  iu  a  more  honorable  and  ex- 
tensive sphere,  and  in  May,  1844,  at  Greensboro',  he  was  elected  to  the  Episco- 
pate,of  Alabama.  Consecrated  to  that  holy  office  in  October  of  the  same  year, 
in  Philadelphia,  immediately  upon  the  adjournment  of  tlie  General  Convention, 
he  came  to  liis  Diocese,  and  with  untiring  energy  and  zeal  entered  upon  his 
arduous  [labors.  How  he  labored,  and  how  God  blessed  his  labors,  the  history  of 
the  Diocese  will  show.  The  number  of  Clergy  more  than  quintupled;  the  parish- 
es the  number  of  communicants,  the  alms,  increased  in  a  like  or  greater  ratio  ; 
a  prosperous  Diocese,  where  all  orders  have  worked  together  with  wonderful 
harmony ;  Mftiere  the  voice  of  party  and  of  strife  was  never  heard ;  where  Christ 
and  his  iChurch  ha-ve  been  the  only  theme  of  Bishop  and  of  Clergy ;  where  there 
has  beenibut  one  iheart  and  one  mind,  and  a  steadfast  continuance  in  the  Apos- 
tles' doctrine  ;and  fellowshii)— such  a  Diocese  is  at  once  his  monument  and  his 
praise. 

It  is  not  yet  itime  to  write  his  life:  to  other  pens  must  be  reserved  to  speak 
his  eulogy,  but  even  now/  in  the  first  burst  of  sorrow,  we  could  not  forbear  to 
speak  from  a  full  heart,  of  the  great  loss  suffered  alike  by  the  Church  and  the 
State,  in  the  death  of  the  .•distinguished  Bishop,  and  to  offer  the  tribute  of  our 
sympathy  to  the  sorrowing  and  bereaved  family  and  Church.  C. 

MONTGOMEKY,  AlA.,  JftU.  .13,  1861. 


23MS 


^Wft#H'^iW.U»MJa 


THE   F^RE^VELI^    >JESS^1lOE. 


Montgomery,  Jan.  12tii,  1861. 

To    the    Clergy 

of  tlie    Prot.    Ep.    Church 

in.    the    Diocese    of    Alahaina  : 


Dear  Brethren: — 

Some  days  before  our  revered  and  beloved  Bisbcp 
'fell  asleep,"  lest  he  might  die  and  leave  them  unspoken,  he  requested  me 
to  keep  in  mind,  and  in  the  event  of  his  death,  to  comnmnicate  to  you  the 
following  words : 


"First  of  all,  give  to  each  and  every  one  of 
them,  individually,  my  love  and  my  blessing; 
and  tell  tbera,  that  as  during  my  whole  episco- 
pate it  has  been  my  earnest  purpose  and  con- 
stant endeavor  to  be,  and  to  sbow  myself  to  be, 
the  personal  friend  and  helper  of  every  Clergy- 
man in  my  Diocese,  so  now  I  have  them  all 
still  in  my  heart. 

As  to  my  Religious  belief;  tell  them,  that  by 
God's  grace,  I  shall  die  in  the  Faith,  in  which  I 
have  lived,  and  which  I  have  endeavored  to  preach. 
I  have  been  called  "a  Puseyite,"  a  "High 
Churchman,"  and  the  like.  Tell  them  I  dislike 
party  names,  and  loathe  party  lines  in  the  Church 
of  Christ ;  but   next  to    Christ,  who  is  the  Head, 


I  love  the  Church,  which  is  His  Body,  with 
my  whole  heart.  I  have  attached,  and  do  still 
attach,  great  importance  to  Her  offices  and  sa- 
craments; and  I  believe  in  '-'Baptismal  Regene- 
ration," and  "Apostolic  Succession,"  as  firmly 
as  I  do  any  of  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel ;  but  I  am  not  conscious,  that  I  have 
ever  preached  any  thing  but  "Jesus  Christ  and 
Him  Crucified;"  and  now,  in  this  solemn  hour, 
reviewing  my  ministry,  I  cannot  recall  a  single 
sentiment,  either  in  my  sermons  or  my  pastoral 
addresses,  which  I  desire  erased  or  changed. 

As  to  my  hope  of  justification  with  God; 
tell  them,  that  "This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and 
worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came 
into  the  world  to  save  sinners.''  I  have  been  call- 
ed "a  good  man,"  "a  kind  man,"  from  my  youth 
up.  I  do  not  say  whether  justly  or  otherwise. 
I  have  tried  to  show  kindness  and  sympathy  to 
all,  especially  to  the  poor,  to  the  afflicted,  and 
to  the  bereaved;  and  I  am  certain,  that  I  do 
not  now  bear  malice,  or  cherish  unkind  feel- 
ings, towards  anybody  on  the  face  of  the  whole 
earth.  But  if  I  have  done  any  kind  deeds,  or 
any  good  works,  I  am  sure  I  make  no  merit  of 
them,  but  cast  them  all  behind  my  back,  and 
nauseate  them,  and  spit  upon  them  "as  filthy 
rags,"    and    counting  myself  "an    unprofitable 


servant,"    I    look  only  "  unto  Jesus,  the  author 
and    finisher  of  our  faith,"  and  say, 

"  In  my  hand  no  price  I  bring, 
Simply  to  Thy  cross  I  cling." 

As  to  my  present  state  of  mind ;  tell  them, 
I  heartily  thank  God  for  this  sickness.  I  know 
not  yet  what  is  to  be  the  issue.  I  have  no  will 
nor  wish  in  the  matter. 

"  Nor  life  nor  death  I  crave," 
but    simply   to  do,    to   bear,    to    suffer,    and   to 
glorify   the  will  of  God.     This   is  my  sentiment 
now,    and  it  is  the  sentiment  with  which  I  hope 
to  die. 

And  with  my  farewell  blessing  upon  them, 
upon  their  families,  upon  their  Parishes,  and 
upon  my  whole  Diocese,  tell  them,  that  their 
dying  Bishop  exhorts  them  to  strive  to  be  men 
OF  God:  —  men  of  peace,  men  of  brotherly- 
kindness,  men  of  charity  ;  self-denying  men,  men 
of  purity,  men  of  prayer;  men  striving  to  "per- 
fect holiness  in  the  fear  of  God,"  and  laboring 
and  preaching  with  an  eye  single  to  His  glory 
and  the  salvation  of  souls." 


These,  dear  Brethren,  are  the  sentiments,  and,  ae  nearly  as  I  can  remem- 
ber, the  very  words,  \Thich  our  lamented  Father  in  God  affectionately  and 
solemnly  charged  me  to  communicate  to  you.  I  am  sure  we  shall  all  treas' 
ure  them  up  as   a  most  precious  legacy. 

Your  Brother  in  Chrii^t, 

JOHN  M.  MITCHELL. 


0,  Almighty  God,  Who  hast  knit  together  Thine  elect  in 
one  communion  and  fellowship,  in  the  mystical  body  of  Thy 
Son,  Christ  our  Lord  ;  Grant  us  Grace  so  to  follow  Thy 
blessed  Saints  in  all  virtuous  and  godly  living,  that  we  may 
come  to  those  unspeakable  joys,  which  Thou  hast  prepared 
for  those  who  unfeignedly  love  Thee  ;  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.    Amen. 


AN    ADDRESS 

AT  THE  FUNERAL   OF  THE 

RT.  REV.  NICHOIAS  HAMxNER  COBBS,  D.  D., 

LATE    BISIIOr   OF    ALABAMA, 

« 
Delivered   in    St.  John's   Cliurrit,  Montg^omery,   Ala., 

Sunday,  January  1  3tli,  1861, 


RT.    KEY.    STEPHEN    ELLIOTT,    D.    D 


BISHOP    OF    GEORGIA. 


"  I  heard  a  voice  from  Heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead 
which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  :  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  tliey  may 
rest  from  their  labors ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them." 


PUBLISHED   BY    REQUEST 

OF  THE  CLERGT    OF  THE     DIOCESE    OF    ALA.,   AND    OF    THE    VESTRY  OF    ST.    JOHN'* 

CHURCH,     MONTGOMERY. 


CORRESPONDENCE 


Montgomery,  Ala.,  Jan.  14, 1S61. 
Rt.  Eev.  and  Dear  Sir  : — 

At  a  meeting  of  tha  Clergy,  in  attendance  at  th^ 
funeral  of  the  late  Bishop  of  this  Diocese,  the  undersigned  were  appointed  a 
Committee,  to  request,  fo^  publication,  a  copy  of  the  Address,  in  which  so  ably, 
so  eloquently,  so  feelingly,  and  truthfully,  you  delineated  and  set  forth  the  dis- 
tinguishing traits  of  his  life  and  character.  "We  do  not  hesitate  to  assure  you, 
that  your  compliance  with  our  request  will  be  regarded  as  an  obligation  con- 
ferred upon  the  Diocese ;  and  so  we  remain. 

Truly  and  Faithfully,  Your  Brethren  in  Christ, 

GEO.  F.  CUSHMAN, 
J.  H.  TICKNOR, 
F.  B.  LEE. 
Et.  Eev.  Bishop  Elliott,  D.  D. 


Montgomery,  Ala.,  Jan,  14, 1S61. 
Eev.  and  Dear  Brethren  : — 

The  address  delivered  by  me  yesterday,  at  the  funer- 
al of  your  beloved  Bishop,  Is  at  the  service  of  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Al- 
abama, who  have  requested  a  copy  for  publication. 

It  was  prepared,  as  you  know,  in  very  great  haste ;  but  if  you,  who  knew  your 
Bishop  best,  were  satisfied  with  its  sketch  of  your  Bishop's  character,  it  would 
noti^ecome  me  to  deny  your  desire.  It  was  a  melancholy  gratification  to  me 
to  be  permitted  to  express  my  admiration  for  his  natural  virtues  and  christian 
graces.  All  his  brethren  of  the  Episcopate  loved  him  dearly,  and  will  mourn 
his  too  early  removal  from  the  Church  on  Earth.  I  feel  sure  that  I  can  offer  to 
his  clergy  and  to  his  family,  their  individual  sympathy  with  them  in  this  un- 
timely bereavement.  I  am.  Rev.  and  Dear  Brethren, 

Very  sincerely  and  affectionately  yours, 

In  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
To  the  Rev.  STEPHEN   ELLIOTT. 

Gbo.  F.  Ccshman,  D.  D., 

J.  H.  TiCKNOR,  }■  Com.  of  Clergymen^of  the  Diocese  of  Ala. 

F.  ^.  Ler. 


BB 


THE     ADDRESS. 


The  year  has  opened  upon  us,  Fellow  Church- 
men, and  Fellow  Christians,  with  a  great  public 
sorrow.  This  smitten  congregation,  this  vast  as- 
semblage of  sympathizing  friends,  this  crowd  of 
bereaved  Clergymen,  this  Church,  clad  in  the  deep 
habiliments  of  mourning,  all  attest,  that  the  grief 
which  lies  heavy  upon  us  is  of  no  private  charac- 
ter. It  is  not  a  single  family,  or  a  single  circle, 
which  mourns  to-daj^  but  it  is  every  family,  and 
ever}^  circle  of  a  large  and  wide-spread  commu- 
nion. It  is  not  one  congregation  only,  that  bows 
its  head  in  the  dust,  and  sits  silent  under  the  chas- 
tening hand  of  God,  but  it  is  every  congregation 
of  this  extended  Diocese.  And  be^'ond  its  limits 
are  thousands  of  the  good  and  the  devout,  who 
share  with  us  our  grief  for  the  death  of  this  holy 
servant  of  God,  and  whose  prayers  are  this  day 
ascending  to  Heaven  on  the  wings  of  the  Holy 
Dove  in  behalf  of  his  widow,  of  his  children,  of 
his  people,  of  his  Clergy,  of  the  Church  of  the 
Living  God.     And   through  this  wide  land   are 


hearts  weeping  for  him  to-day,  as  for  a  Father;  are 
voices  uttering  blessings  upon  his  name  for  all  the 
good  he  has  done  to  them.  And  many,  who  never 
looked  upon  his  face,  ar^  placing  upon  his  grave 
the  tribute  of  love,  for  the  gentle  goodness,  whose 
fragrance  reaches  even  unto  them,  of  reverence 
for  the  Holiness,  which  made  him  precious  among 
the  Saints  of  God.  We,  who  stand  here  weeping 
over  his  dead  body,  are  but  the  representatives  of 
multitudes,  wlio  are  shedding  their  tears  in  the 
privacy  of  their  own  households.  We,  who  utter 
in  this  place  our  broken  words  of  love  and  sorrow, 
are  only  the  leaders  of  hosts,  who  are  lifting  up 
to  God  the  voice  of  supplication  for  strength  and 
comfort  under  this  sore  afiliction.  For  there  is 
yet,  thanks  be  to  God  !  virtue  enough  left  among 
men  to  enable  them  to  recognize  the  embodiment 
of  goodness,  and  grace  enough  to  lead  them  to 
pay  homage  to  the  reflection  of  their  Savior's 
image. 

And  well  does  his  memory  deserve  all  this  love, 
and.  all  this  gushing  tribute  of  affection.  From 
his  youth,  up  to  the  moment  when  the  silver  cord 
was  loosed,  was  he  himself  a  creature  of  unself- 
ishness, lavishing  upon  all  around  him  the  boun- 
ties of  his  goodness,  and  the  warmth  of  his  aftec- 
tion.  ^ever  has  he  sousrht  his  own  thing's,  but 
always  the   things  of  others.     Wherever   in   his 


ministry  the  Spirit  of  God  has  called  him,  that 
sphere  has  been  warmed  by  the  kindliness  of  his 
nature,  and  the  earnestness  of  his  piety.  Wheth- 
er toiling  as  a  Missionary  among  the  vallies  of  his 
his  own  beloved  Virginia,  or  laboring  as  a  Pastor 
in  the  exacting  congregations  of  towns  and  cities, 
or  standing  beside  the  fountains  of  Science,  and 
sweetening  their  waters  with  the  truths  of  Chris- 
tianity, or  building  up  the  Church  in  this  almost 
virgin  Diocese,  he  has  left  everywhere  the  like 
impress  of  himself.  He  has  ever  walked  in  an 
atmosphere  of  love,  and  those,  among  whom  he 
has  wandered,  rise  up,  even  to  this  day,  and  call 
him  blessed.  Heartfelt  gratitude  has  followed 
him  all  his  days.  Aftection  has  sweetened  his 
whole  pathway  of  life.  Devotion  has  filled  Hea- 
ven with  prayers  in  his  behalf,  and  now  that  he 
has  sunk  to  his  rest,  there  is  showered  upon  his 
grave  all  this  pent  up  tribute  of  sincere  devotion. 
He  verified  in  his  life,  and  in  his  death,  that  stri- 
king beatitude :  "Blessed  are  the  meek,  for  they 
shall  inherit  the  Earth." 

How  comforting  it  is  to  stand  beside  the  dead, 
and  see  that  Christ's  promises  have  been  fulfilled 
in  life  and  in  death  !  And  in  no  one  has  this  been 
more  strikingly  exhibited,  than  in  our  beloved 
Brother.  He  was  enabled  by  Faith,  first,  to  over- 
come the  world,  and  then,  by  a  like  Faith,  to  over- 


14 

come  Death  and  the  Grave.  Few  men  have  been 
more  in  the  world,  than  the  holy  Bishop  whose 
life  we  are  illustrating,  while  few  men  have  been 
less  of  the  world.  A  Soldier  of  the  Cross  from 
early  manhood,  a  warrior  for  Christ  all  his  life 
through,  a  warrior,  too,  who  never  shrank  from 
any  post,  or  any  duty,  a  Missionary,  a  Priest,  a 
Chaplain,  a  Bishop,  he  yet  was  kept  unspotted 
from  the  world.  It  had  no  charms  for  him,  or,  if 
it  had,  he  trampled  them  under  foot  with  an  un- 
sparing severity.  He  moved  among  men  always 
as  the  Minister  of  God,  as  the  Ambassador  for 
Christ.  E'o  one  could  ever  mistake  his  character, 
or  his  purpose.  "While  he  was  gentle  unto  all 
men,  he  was  never  pliant;  wdiile  he  was  wary  in 
the  pursuit  of  the  great  purposes  of  Christ's 
Kingdom  upon  the  Earth,  nothing  turned  him 
him  aside  from  their  consummation.  Baffled  to- 
day, he  resumed  his  efforts  to-morrow.  Disap- 
pointed in  his  spiritual  aims,  he  renewed  his  heart 
through  prayer,  and  worked  afresh.  Ilis  whole 
soul  was  thrown  into  the  advancementof  Christ's 
Church,  because  he  believed  that  Church  to  be  the 
ground  and  pillar  of  the  Truth.  He  was  never 
ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  but 
preached  it  ever  as  the  Wisdom  of  God,  and  tlie 
Power  of  God  unto  Salvation.  Worldliness  he 
rebuked;  ungodliness  he  denounced,    and  main- 


15 


tained  a  strict  discipline  over  the  Church  of  Christ. 
And  God  rewarded  his  faithfulness  in  life,  by  His 
Presence  in  death,  and  bore  him  in  peace  through 
the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  to  that  "  rest 
which  remaineth  to  the  people  of  God." 

Bishop  Cobbs  "was  remarkable  in  every  feature 
of  his  ministerial  life  :  remarkable,  because  pecu- 
liar. As  a  Pastor,  he  was  unrivalled.  Canning 
into  every  house  the  gentle,  loving  spirit  of  which 
we  have  spoken,  he  w^ound  himself  about  the 
hearts  of  young  and  old,  so  that  their  affection  for 
him  became  an  indissoluble  tie.  It  was  not,  in  his 
case,  as  too  often  it  is,  a  mere  transient  admiration 
of  a  Clergyman's  powers,  or  a  Clergyman's  man- 
ners, but  it  assumed  the  unchangeable  form  of  a 
relationship.  It  continued  through  life.  It  died 
not  out  with  his  removal  to  another  sphere,  but 
he  remained  the  beloved  Pastor  until  death  de- 
stroyed the  bond.  Xo  subsequent  tie  could  ever 
obliterate  that  first  spiritual  love.  AVherever  he 
went,  or  whatever  he  became,  his  children  in  the 
Lord  followed  his  wanderings  with  the  eye  of  un- 
changing affection,  and  never  swerved  from  their 
allegiance.  And  this  was  the  result  of  his  earnest 
self-devotedness  to  the  interests  of  his  people, 
combined  with  that  indescribable  pow<ir  of  insin- 
uating himself  into  their  deepest  affections.  It  is 
useless  to  attempt  to  analyze   it,  because,  even  if 


16 


analyzed,  it  could  not  be  imitated,  for  it  belonged 
to  the  man.  It  was  that  which  constituted,  as  a 
Pastor,  his  peculiar  power.  And  this  rich,  un- 
ceasing fountain  of  sympathy  made  him  a  true 
comforter  in  affliction,  or  disease,  a  welcome  vis- 
itor in  every  abode  of  poverty,  or  sorrow.  It  was 
a  living  manifestation  of  the  power  of  christian 
love.  He  carried  with  him  none  of  the  artificial 
manners  of  the  world  ;  he  took  no  pains  to  be  a 
courtier,  or  a  truckler ;  he  spoke  with  honest  fear- 
lessness, yet  with  discretion,  the  words  of  truth; 
yet  everybody  loved  him,  and  no  one  was  ashamed 
to  be  governed  by  his  counsel.  He  moved  in  and 
out  among  his  people  the  servant  of  all,  and  yet 
the  head  of  all ;  the  humble  man  of  God,  and 
yet  the  unopposed  Ambassador  for  Christ  and 
His  Church. 

Bishop  CoBBS  was  remarkable  as  a  Preacher : 
remarkable  again,  because  peculiar.  And  that 
peculiarity  consisted  in  two  things,  one  of  which 
came  to  him  by  nature,  and  the  other  by  grace. 
He  possessed,  naturally,  a  clear  insight  into  char- 
acter; and  this,  combined  with  a  daily  examina- 
tion of  his  own  heart,  made  him  one  of  the  clear- 
est and  most  searching  pulpit  orators  of  tbe 
Church.  He  tracked  sin  through  all  its  hiding 
places  with  an  unerring  sagacity,  and  laid  bare 
the  defeats  of  the  life  of  God  in  the  soul  with  the 


17 

skill  of  a  spiritual  anatomist.     It  required  a  very 
spiritual  state  of  mind  to   follow  him,  and   some- 
times the  hearer  was  lost,  because  the  speaker  was 
passed  beyond  his  depth.     To  the  growing  chris- 
tian his  pulpit  instructions  were  surpassingly  use- 
ful; and  many,  whom   in  his  earlier   days  he  led 
into  the  way  of  life,  would  never  consent  to  com- 
pare anybody's  teaching  with  his.      This  was  one 
peculiarity ;  the   other,  I   grieve  to   say,   is  still 
more  uncommon:  the  presence,  in  his  Preaching, 
c')f  the  unction  of  the  Holy   Spirit !     Alas!    how^ 
few  attain  that  mighty  power!     How  seldom  are 
the  words  of  the  Preacher  steeped  in  the  oil  of  the 
Sanctuary,  so  that  they  glide  into  the  hearts  of  the 
hearers  and  become  as  nails   driven  into  a   sure 
place  !  He  possessed  it  in  an  eminent  degree,  and 
his  sermons  upon  ordinary   occasions  always  im- 
pressed  the  hearer   with    the    feeling,  that   the 
Preacher  had  w^oven  them,  not   out  of  his   mind, 
but  out  of  his  spirit  in  communion  with  the  Spirit 
of  God.     And    these  peculiarities  constitute  the 
elements  of  pulpit  excellence.    With  these,  many 
defects  of  manner  snd  style  can  be  forgiven  ;  with- 
out these,  our  words,    however   harmonious  and 
rhetorical,  are  but  as   sounding  brass,   or  a  tink- 
ling cymbal. 

Our   beloved  Bishop  was  remarkable   likewise, 
in  his  Episcopal  character :  remarkable  again,  be- 


18 


cause  peculiar.  And  that  peculiarity  consisted  in 
his  ruling  everybody  through  the  power  of  gen- 
tleness. No  Bishop  of  our  Church  has  ever  had 
around  him  a  more  devoted  Clergy,  or  a  more  uni- 
ted Laity ;  and  yet,  no  Bishop  has  ever  assumed 
as  little  authority  over  either  Clergy  or  Laity. 
Their  devotion  to  him  was  the  spontaneous  trib- 
ute of  affection  to  one,  whom  they  perceived  to 
be  spending  himself  in  their  service,  and  had  no 
aims  save  those  which  he  believed  to  be  the  aims 
of  Christ  and  His  Church.  His  prudence  andhis 
wisdom  were  manifest  to  all,  and  when  these  are 
combined  with  a  sincere  and  unselfish  piety,  they 
are  irresistible.  No  points  ever  arose  between 
him  and  his  Convention  ;  and  when  he  was  drawn, 
against  his  will  and  against  his  nature,  into  the 
controversies  of  others,  his  wise  conclusions  were 
always  sustained.  And  this  is  the  true  influence 
of  a  Bishop,  when  he  wields  authority,  not  be- 
cause the  Law  gives  it  to  him,  but  because  his 
people  are  assured,  that  he  will  assume  none 
which  is  not  clearly  his,  and  will  exercise  even 
that,  wisely  and  discreetly.  This  entire  confidence 
in  their  Bishop  was  manifested  only  a  year  or  two 
since  by  the  Convention  of  this  Diocese,  when  it 
placed,  unhesitatingly,  its  whole  Missionary  ope- 
rations in  his  hands,  trusting  implicitly  to  his  bet- 
ter knowledo;e  of  the  wants  and  necessities  of  his 


^^3&'^i^jfMg-^-;^^yWf^ffiMtM»fea^jyftm>^^^i^^ 


19 


Diocese.     And  well  might  they  have  reposed  this 
perfect  trust  in  him,  for  he  spared  no  pains  in  the 
oversight  of  his  Episcopate.     He  was  ever  on  the 
wing,  travelling  through  heat  and  cold,  through 
storm  and  sunshine,  in  the  highways  and  byeways, 
exposed  to  every  inconvenience,  to  which  one  may 
be  subjected  in  these  days  of  improvement;  seek- 
ing out  the  children  of  the  Church  wherever  they 
might  be  found  scattered  in  tlie  waste  places  of 
the  land.     His  journeys  were   unceasing,    his   la- 
bors enormous,  and  no  fear  of  personal  discomfort 
ever  kept  him  from  his  duties.     And  when  he  in- 
dulged himself  with  a  little  rest  in  the  home  of 
his  affections,  his  active  mind  was  busy  in  the  de- 
vice of  glorious  things  for  the  Church   of  God. 
He  worked  out,  in  these  moments  of  repose,    an 
ideal  for  the  future,   which   was  to   concentrate 
around  the  Bishop,  in  the  heart  of  this  Metropolis, 
all  the  efficient  agencies  of  Church  work:  schools 
for  the  lambs  of  the  flock  ;  seminaries  for  students 
of  every  kind  ;  nurseries  for  instruction  in  all  the 
routine  of  benevolence;  and,    rising   from   their 
midst,  a  Cathedral    Church,    from  which    should 
daily  ascend  the  prayers  and  praises  of  God's  peo- 
ple, and  from  which  should  radiate  to  the  extrem- 
ities of  the  Diocese  the  holy  influences  of  Christi- 
anity.    This  ideal  has  Death  scattered  for  the  pre- 
sent, as  it  does  so  many    other   ideals,    but  seed 


20 


sown  by  the  righteous  and  watered  by  their  pray- 
ers, never  perishes.  The  time  will  come,  when  he 
will  be  remembered  as  the  wise  and  holy  man  of 
God,  who  looked  far  into  the  future,  and  saw  in 
vision,  the  glorious  things  of  the  Church  of  his 
Redeemer. 

And  God  has  richly  blessed  the  work  and  labor 
of  his  hands.  Receiving  this  Diocese  from  the 
hands  of  its  energetic  Missionary  Bishop,  some 
sixteen  years  ago,  he  has  moulded  it  into  its  pre- 
sent strength  and  compactness.  It  has  increased 
more  than  live  fold  under  his  untiring  labors,  car- 
ried on  through  numberless  disadvantages.  In 
the  early  part  of  his  Episcopate,  he  was  subjected 
to  great  toil  in  reaching  his  places  of  appointment, 
for,  even  to-day,  it  is  a  most  laborious  Diocese  to 
to  traverse.  But,  through  it  all,  he  persevered, 
establishing  this  point,  confirming  that ;  planting 
new  Churches  in  the  wilderness,  and  reconstruc- 
ting the  ohl ;  upholding  the  weak  ;  comforting  the 
perplexed  ;  cheering  the  despondent ;  a  true 
leader  of  the  hosts  of  God,  whose  trumpet  never 
gave  an  uncertain  sound.  No  one,  who  has  not 
passed  through  the  experience  of  a  Missionary 
Bishop,  can  understand  or  appreciate  the  severity 
and  variety  of  his  labors.  Set  apart  to  build  up 
the  Church  of  Christ  in  an  unkindly  soil,  it  would 
be  an  arduous  task,  even  though  he  were   helped 


i»MA.ui..ii>Mjj.ii>A4'^v^Mu.autj.Mj-iiiw.m^.Bim^H^\^m^ja 


21 


with  all  the  appliances  of  human  ageocy.  But, 
wlien  he  is  sent  alone,  without  the  aid  of  proper 
assistants,  without  money  at  his  command  to  as- 
sist the  feeble  Parishes  and  animate  the  strong  ; 
encountering  here  lukewarmness,  and  there  in- 
difference, and  everywhere  ungodliness,  it  de- 
mands a  heart  of  steel,  and  a  spirit  warmed  by 
the  perpetual  sunshine  of  God's  countenance,  to  ac- 
complish the  work  of  the  Lord.  That  our  beloved 
Brother  was  enabled  so  gloriously  to  fulfil  his 
mission,  he  owed  to  the  grace  of  God,  workino- 
in  and  through  his  rare  personal  qualities.  These 
lie  laid,  in  all  humilitj',  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross, 
and  received,  in  return,  the  strength  which  cometh 
from  Jesus  Christ,  the  Crucified  Savior,  the  Risen 
Advocate  and  Intercessor. 

In  the  higher  councils  of  the  Church,  our  Bro- 
ther held  an  enviable  position.  His  character 
gave  him  great  power  among  his  Brethren  of  the 
Episcopate,  and  in  theHouseof  Bishops  his  opin- 
ion always  carried  great  weight.  lie  did  not  min- 
gle much  in  its  debates,  but  when  he  chose  to 
speak,  no  man  was  more  attentively  listened  to, 
or  more  generallj-  approved.  It  was  a  matter  of 
regret,  that  he  did  not  express  his  views  more 
freely,  but  his  great  humility  displayed  itself  in 
this,  that  he  esteemed  others  better  than  himself. 
"He  was  willing,"  he  said,  "to  be    instructed   bj^ 


OQ 


those  who  were  older  in  the  Episcopate,"  and  thus 
held  his  tongue,  even  from  good'  words.  But, 
when  he  w^ould  permit  himself  to  give  utterance 
to  his  opinions,  he  w^as  sure  to  make  his  mark  ; 
for  wisdom  sat  upon  his  lips,  and  integrity  sway- 
ed every  movement  of  his  heart.  Good  sense, 
deep  wisdom,  and  unchanging  kindness  of  utter- 
ance were  the  characteristics  of  his  speeches  ;  and 
never  did  he  rise,  without  casting  light  upon  the 
suhject  which  he  treated,  and  what  w^as  better, 
never  did  he  close,  without  casting  over  the  assem- 
bly the  spell  of  his  loving  heart.  We  shall  mourn 
the  absence  of  his  spirit  from  our  councils,  for, 
we  shall  never  see  again  precisely  his  counterpart. 

And,  if  missed  from  the  General  Council  of 
the  Church,  how  much  more  deeply  shall  we  feel 
his  absence  in  that  narrower,  but  more  intimate 
council,  in  which  he  has  communed  with  his 
Brethren  in  behalf  of  the  interests  ot  Literature 
and  Science  in  our  Southern  Dioceses  !  It  was 
there  we  felt  his  value,  for  he  cast  his  whole  heart 
and  soul  into  the  elevation  of  the  standard  of 
learning  in  the  Church  and  in  the  Country.  He 
was  totally  dissatisfied  with  the  superficial  educa- 
tion of  the  United  States,  and  his  earnest  wish 
w^as,  to  bring  back  the  olden  times  of  English 
Learning,  when  scholarship  and  piety  were  indis- 
soluble companions.     Often  have   we  talked  over 


23 


this  hope,  in  intercourse  which  lean  never  foro;et, 
and  how  his  eve  would  kindle,  and  his  form  di- 
late, as  he  opened  his  views  for  the  future  of  our 
University,  and  lifted  up  a  standard  of  scholar- 
ship such  as  few  men  even  conceive  of  in  this 
present  day.  It  was  upon  occasions  like  these 
that  I  first  discovered  the  latent  enthusiasm  of 
his  character;  how  he  kept  down,  under  the  re- 
straints of  duty  and  of  grace,  a  spirit  which  could 
flame  forth,  when  time  and  opportunity  permitted, 
into  an  ardor  that  was  electric,  and  that  filled  his 
hearers  with  amazement  and  admiration.  And 
this  enthusiasm  he  was  prepared  to  cast  into  the 
work  of  the  University,  and  promote,  with  his 
wise  counsels,  its  early  estahlishment.  It  was 
getting  very  near  his  heart:  but  now,  all  that  is 
left  us  is  the  memory  of  his  sagacity,  and  the 
duty  of  enshrining  him,  as  one  of  its  earliest 
friends  and  wisest  architects. 

Such  a  heart,  and  such  a  soul,  so  gentle,  so  lov- 
ing, so  full  of  goodness,  could  only  arise  out  of  a 
Keligion  that  was  deeply  personal. 

His  theology  was  fixed  and  definite,  but  it  was 
his  personal  piety,  which  distinguished  the  man. 
lie  was  one  of  the  holiest  men  I  have  ever  met, 
and  the  very  radiance  of  his  fiice,  told  the  passer- 
by, that  he  lived  with  Jesus.  In  the  last  commu- 
nication  which  he  made  to  his   Clergy,  he  says  : 


24: 

lll'lllllllMMMaBSMn 

"As  to  my  hope  of  justification  with  God,  tell 
them,  that  -This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy 
of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the 
w^orld  io  save  sinners.'  I  have  been  called  a  good 
man,  a  kind  man,  from  my  youth  up.  I  do  not 
say  whether  justly,  or  otherwise.  I  have  tiicd  to 
show  kindness  and  sympathy  to  all,  especially  to 
the  poor,  to  the  afflicted,  and  to  the  bereaved,  and 
I  am  certain  that  I  do  not  now  bear  malice,  or 
cherish  unkind  feelings,  towards  anybody  on  the 
face  of  the  Earth.  But,  if  I  have  done  any  kind 
deeds,  or  any  good  works,  I  am  sure  I  make  no 
merit  of  them,  but  cast  them  all  behind  my  back, 
and  nauseate  them,  and  spit  upon  them  as  'filthy 
rags,'  and  counting  myself  an  'unprofitable  ser- 
vant,' I  look  only  unto  Jesus,  the  Author  and 
Finisher  of  our  Faith,  and  say: 

'In  my  hand  no  price  I  bring, 
Simply  to  thy  Cross  I  cling.'  " 

And  this  was  a  fitting  close  to  a  life  of  entire 
devotion  to  the  cause  of  Christ.  He  knew  no 
other  master  than  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified  : 
and  "next  to  Christ,  Who  is  the  Head,  he  loved 
the  Church,"  to  use  his  own  language,  "which 
is  His  Body,  with  his  whole  heart."  Trusting 
thus  in  the  blood  of  the  Atonement ;  rejoicing 
that  Christ  had  died  for  his  sins,  and  risen  for  his 
justification,  he  submitted  himself  to  the  Sover- 


ereign  Will  of  God.  "I  know  not  yet,  with  cer- 
tainty, what  is  to  be  the  issue  of  this  sickness. 
I  have  no  will  nor  wish  in  the  matter.  ^ISTor  life 
nor  death  I  crave' ;  but  simply  to  do,  to  bear,  to 
suffer,  and  to  glorify  the  will  of  God."  And  with 
this  humble,  submissive  spirit,  he  went  his  way 
to  his  Father's  home. 

And  well  may  you,  m}^  hearers,  and  all  the 
Church  over  which  he  had  the  oversight,  lament 
to-day,  in  dust  and  ashes  ;  for  you  have  lost,  at  this 
most  critical  period  of  3'our  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
affairs,  one  whose  prayers  were  mighty  before 
God,  and  whose  counsels  were  prevalent  among 
men.  Most  grievous  is  the  affliction,  when,  at 
any  time,  and  under  any  circumstances,  a  faithful 
Bishop  is  taken  from  his  flock,  but  it  is  over- 
whelming, when  his  light  is  put  out  just  as  that 
flock  is  entering  into  the  dark  cloud  of  trouble 
and  of  perplexit3^  Yet  such  is  your  condition 
to-da}'.  Just  when  his  people  most  need  consola- 
tion ;  just  when  his  Clergy  most  require  the  coun- 
sels of  a  wnse  experience;  just  when  the  Church 
is  to  be  guided  through  a  period  of  change,  and 
therefore  of  peril,  your  earthly  Guide  and  Coun- 
sellor is  taken  to  his  rest.  And  such  a  Guide! 
So  gentle,  yet  so  wise  ;  so  loving,  yet  so  firm ; 
so  modest,  jet  so  influential  ;  so  full  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  yet  knowing  how  to  move  warily  among 
the  children  of  men. 


26 


It  is  indeed,  for  I  end  as  I  began,  "  a  great  pub- 
lic sorrow  ;"  and  well  may  the  State,  equally  with 
the  Church,  lament  that  so  holy  a  man  has  been 
taken  away  in  this  her  hour  of  trial,  perchance  of 
peril.  For  such  men  as  he,  men  of  prayer,  and 
men  of  truth,  constitute  the  strength  and  power 
of  a  State.  They  are  "  the  horses  and  the  chari- 
ots of  Israel."  Well,  therefore,  may  the  tears  of 
Statesmen  mingle  with  the  tears  of  women,  and 
the  grief  of  age  be  uttered  side  by  side  with  the 
grief  of  childhood.  It  is  a  conjunction  worthy 
of  him,  wh  came  so  near  to  his  Savior's  ideal  of 
conduct,  that  he  should  be  "wise  as  a  serpent, 
and  harmless  as  a  dove." 

But,  he  has  not  left  you  without  counsel  in  this 
emergency.  He  has  counselled  you,  year  after 
year,  from  this  pulpit,  telling  you  where  to  look 
for  wisdom  and  for  strength,  in  every  hour  of 
your  necessity.  His  finger  has  pointed  you  un- 
swervingly to  the  Throne  of  Grace,  and  all  his 
lessons  have  taught  you,  that  the  Lord  God  Om- 
nipotent reigneth,  and  that  He  holdeth  in  His 
keeping  the  hearts  of  all  men.  He  has  counselled 
you  in  his  daily  intercourse  with  you,  teaching 
in  season  and  out  of  season,  that  God  is  Love, 
and  that  He  watches  over  His  children,  with  a 
tenderness,  surpassing  the  love  of  woman,  keep- 
ing them  as  the  apple  of  an   eye.     He  has  coun- 


27 


selled  yon,  by  his  daily  walk  aud  conversation, 
showing  you,  in  his  own  life,  what  it  is  to  move 
daily  and  hourly  in  the  faith  of  God,  and  in  the 
righteousness  of  Christ.  And  now  has  he  coun- 
selled you  by  his  death,  showing  you  how  one, 
born  weak,  and  sinful,  and  corrupt,  can  glorify 
God,  even  in  his  infirmities;  can  triumph  over 
sickness,  and  pain,  and  death  ;  can  lie  down  in 
peace,  assured  that  "them  which  sleep  in  Jesus, 
shall  God  bring  with  Him." 

For  you.  Brethren  of  the  Clergy,  has  he  left  a 
more  particular  and  special  blessing.  He  had 
you  in  his  heart,  all  through  his  weeks  of  suffer- 
ing, for  he  knew  your  sorrow,  and  he  could  sym- 
pathize with  it.  "  Give  to  each  and  every  one  of 
them,"  are  his  own  touching  words,  "individually, 
my  love  and  my  blessing,  and  tell  them,  that 
as  during  my  whole  Episcopate,  it  has  been  my 
earnest  purpose  and  constant  endeavor  to  be,  and 
to  show  myself  to  be,  the  personal  friend  and 
helper  of  every  Clergyman  in  my  Diocese,  so  now, 
I  have  them  still  in  my  heart.  And,  with  my 
farewell  blessing  upon  them,  upon  their  families, 
upon  their  Parishes,  and  upon  my  whole  Diocese, 
tell  them,  that  their  dying  Bishop  exhorts  them, 
in  Christ's  name,  to  study  to  be  men  of  God:  men 
of  peace,  men  of  brotherly  kindness,  men  of 
charity;    self-denying   men,    men    of   purity   of 


s^Esss^^ssa 


28 


character,  men  of  prayer,  men  striving  to  perfect 
holiness  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  laboring 
and  preaching  with  an  eye  single  to  His  Glory, 
and  the  salvation  of  souls." 

I  dare  not  intrude  myself  into  the  sacred  sanc- 
tuary of  his  home.  Private  loves  and  private 
griefs  belong  not  to  the  public  eye.  They  are  for 
the  heart,  and  for  God.  But,  I  may  be  permitted 
to  say  to  you,  out  of  the  fullness  of  a  loving 
heart,  that  his  widow  and  his  children  have  the 
sincerest  sympathy  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and 
that  their  names  will  be  carried  upon  the  wings 
of  prayer  to  that  Comforter,  Who  alone  knoweth 
how  to  comfort  all  them  that  are  afflicted.  Your 
richest  legacy  is  his  character ;  your  surest  trust, 
the  promises  of  God,  made  to  the  seed  of  the 
righteous.  May  His  peace,  that  peace  which 
passeth  all  understanding,  abide  with  you,  now 
and  forever. 

And  now,  let  us  take  the  aged  warrior  to  his 
rest.  His  time  of  work  is  over;  the  sun  has  stt 
upon  his'  day  of  labor,  the  hour  of  rest  is  come, 
and  he  is  given  that  blessedness,  which  none  but 
a  christian  warrior  can  know,  the  blessedness  of 
the  transition  state  from  the  work  of  Earth  to  the 
work  of  Heaven.  Oh !  the  sweetness  of  that 
word  rest !  To  cease  from  all  the  weariness  of 
life  ;  to  be  done  with  its  cares,  its  perplexities,  its 


29 


sorrows,  its  miseries ;  to  have  fought  the  good 
fight  of  faith  and  ended  the  struggle;  to  have 
finished  the  work  whicli  God  has  given  us  to  do, 
and  now  to  lie  down  and  be  at  peace.  Tlie 
Psalmist  expressed  it,  when,  in  the  weariness  of 
his  struggles,  he  cried,  "Oh  !  that  I  had  wings  like 
a  dove,  for  then  would  I  flee  away  and  be  at  rest." 
St.  Paul  expressed  it,  when,  aged  and  worn,  he 
exulted  in  his  approaching  end.  "For  I  am  now 
ready  to  be  oftered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure 
is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  figlit,  I  have 
finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith.  Hence- 
forth, there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  right- 
eousness." St.  John  proclaimed  it,  as  an  utter- 
ance from  Heaven,  when  he  said :  "  I  heard  a 
voice  from  Heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write, 
Plessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  from 
henceforth  :  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may 
rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow 
them."  It  was  rest  that  our  beloved  warrior 
craved  ;  rest  from  sin,  rest  from  warfare,  rest  from 
responsibility,  rest  from  temptation,  rest  from  the 
solemn  work  of  life  ;  and  God  gave  him  the  boon 
when  He  dismissed  him  from  his  post.  "Go  thy 
way,  till  the  Great  Day  :  faithfully  hast  thou  done 
thy  work.  ^N^ow  shalt  thou  rest,  and  stand  in  thy 
lot  at  the  end  of  the  days." 


Almighty  God,  with  Whom  do  live  the  spirits  of  those 
who  depart  hence  in  the  Lord,  and  with  Whom  the  souls  of 
the  faithful,  after  they  are  delivered  from  the  burden  of  the 
flesh,  are  in  joy  and  felicity  ;  We  give  thee  hearty  thanks 
for  the  good  examples  of  all  those  Thy  servants,  who,  hav- 
ing finished  their  course  in  faith,  do  now  rest  from  their  la- 
bors. And  we  beseech  Thee,  that  we,  with  all  those  who  are 
departed  in  the  true  faith  of  Thy  Holy  Name,  may  have  our 
perfect  consummation  and  bliss,  both  in  body  and  soul,  in 
Thy  eternal  and  everlasting  glory  ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord,    Amen. 


aow 


O  T  H  E  K 


OI3ITXJA.I1Y      IVOTICES 


1  Thess.   II. 

10.  Ye  are  witnesses,  and  God  also, 
how  holily  and  justly  and  unblameably 
we  behaved  ourselves  among  you  that 
believe : 

11.  As  ye  know  how  we  exhorted  and 
comforted  and  charged  every  one  of  you, 
as  a  father  doth  his  children, 

12.  That  ye  should  walk  worthy  of 
God,  who  hath  called  you  unto  his  king- 
dom and  glory. 


'WE      ARE      WITNESSES. 


RESOI.UTIOXS    OF    THE]  CLERGY 

Present  at  tlie  Funeral  of  the  liate  Bishop  Cobbs. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Clergy  of  the  Diocese  of  Alabama, 
who  were  present  at  the  funeral  of  their  lamented  Bishop, 
the  Right  Rev.  N.  H.  Cobbs,  D.  D.,  on  motion  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hansox  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gholsox 
appointed  Secretary. 

The  object  of  the  meeting  was  explained  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
TiCK.voR ;  and  on  motion,  a  Committee  was  appointed  for  the 
purpose  of  drafting  appropriate  resolutions. 

The  Chair  appointed  as  said  Committee  the  Rev.  Mr.  Tick- 
NOR,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cushman,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lee. 

After  an  interval,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Tickxor  reported  the  fol- 
lowing preamble  and  resolutions,  which,  on  motion,  were 
received  and  unanimously  adopted  : 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  the  great  Head  of  the  Cliurcli, 
in  His  wise  Providence,  to  take  from  us,  at  a  time  when  his 
presence  and  counsels  seemed  most  needful,  our  revered 
Diocesan,  our  tenderly  beloved  father  and  friend,  after  a  lin- 
gering and  painful  illness,  in  which  his  "  patience  was  tried 
for  an  example  to  others,  and  his  faith  found  laudable  and 
glorious  to  the  increase,"  as  we  doubt  not,  "  of  his  own  end- 
less felicity"  : 

Resolved,  1.  That  while  we  are  deeply  sensible  of  our  own 
personal  loss,  and  the  loss  to  the  Diocese  of  Alabama,  and  to 
the  Church  at  large,  we  bow  with  resignation  to  a  blow  di- 
rected by  a  Wisdom  which  cannot  err,  and  prompted  by  a 
Love  which  "  does  not  willingly  afflict  or  grieve  the  children 
of  men." 


34 


2.  That  from  the  depths  of  our  sorrow,  we  render  hearty 
thanks  to  Almighty  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  for  the  good 
example  of  this  His  servant ;  an  example  of  entire  self-con- 
secration to  the  cause  of  Christ  and  His  Church  ;  an  exam- 
ple of  zeal  with  discretion  ;  of  wisdom  with  innocence  ;  of 
strength  with  humility ;  of  firmness  in  all  that  involved 
principle  or  duty,  with  the  most  unfeigned  and  affectionate 
respect  for  the  opinions  and  feelings  of  others;  of  "mercy 
without  remissness,  and  of  so  administering  discipline  as  not 
to  forget  mercy:"  qualities  which  eminently  fitted  him  to  be 
the  reliable  guide,  the  safe  adviser  and  sjnnpathising  friend 
of  his  Clerg}^,  and  under  Christ  the  faithful  shepherd  of  an 
infant  Diocese,  which,  mainly  by  his  unwearied  labors  and 
the  influence  of  his  christian  character,  has  been  brought  to 
its  present  strength  and  prosperity. 

3.  That  we  recognizie  the  grace  of  God  in  the  formation  of 
such  a  character,  and  the  goodness  of  God  in  so  long  contin- 
uing it  in  our  midst :  "  The  Lord  gave  and  the  Lord  hath  ta- 
ken away  :  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  !" 

4.  That,  by  God's  help,  we  will  ever  cherish  in  our  minds, 
and,  so  far  as  in  us  lies,  inculcate  in  our  ministrations,  the 
things  we  have  received  from  him  ;  and  especially  will  we 
remember,  as  having  been  nearest  his  heart  : 

His  devotedness  to  the  cause  of  the  poor  ; 

His  zeal  to  secure  the  proper  religious  instruction  of 
servants  ; 

His  earnest  and  unceasing  anxiety  that  the  children  of  the 
Church  might  be  brought  up,  according  to  her  mind  and 
teachings,  in  the  full  faith  and  fear  of  God  ; 

His  inculcation  of  ■'  devout  manners,''  as  a  necessary  mani- 
festation of  inward  grace  and  christian  principle  ; 

His  unaffected  charity,  "  maintaining  and  setting  forward 
quietness  and  peace  among  all  men  ;" 


35 


His  tenderness  for  the  erring,  and  liis  "diligence  in  seeking 
for  Christ's  slieep  that  are  dispersed  abroad,  and  for  His 
children  that  are  in  the  midst  of  this  naughty  world,  that 
they  might  be  saved  through  Christ  forever  ;" 

Ilis  uncompromising  faithfulness,  tempered  with  the  ut- 
most sweetness,  in  "  rightly  dividing  the  Word  of  Truth,"' 
and  "administering  the  doctrines,  sacraments  and  discipline 
of  Christ  as  this  Church  hath  received  the  same,"  combi- 
ning evangelic   truth  with  apostolic  order  ; 

'•In  all  things  showing  himself  an  example  of  good  works  ;" 
"exhorting,  comforting  and  charging  every  one  of  us  as  a 
f\ither  doth  his  children  ;"  and  "endeavoring  that  after  his 
decease  we  might  have  these  things  always  in  remem- 
brance." 

5.  That  we  praise  God  for  the  numerous  circumstances  of 
consolation  attending  this  trying  visitation,  for  the  perfect 
clearness  of  intellect,  and  the  spiritual  tranquility  and  sup- 
port enjoyed  amid  physical  suffering  and  exhaustion  ;  for  the 
verifying  before  our  eyes  of  the  promise  that  "God  will  keep 
them  in  perfect  peace  whose  minds  are  stayed  on  llim  ;"  and 
for  the  precious  legacy  of  parting  words  of  admonition,  en- 
couragement and  blessing,  now  communicated  to  us  from  the 
venerated  deceased. 

G.  That  we  offer  our  fervent  petition  to  the  Giver  of  every 
good  and  perfect  gift,  that  this  afflicting  dispensation  may 
be  sanctitied  to  us  all,  in  the  increase  of  faith,  in  the  promo- 
tion of  brotherly  love,  and  in  the  renewal  of  self-devotion, 
diligence  and  humility  in  the  service  of  the  great  Shepherd 
and  Bishop  of  souls. 

7.  That  we  tender  our  earnest  sympathy  to  the  family  of 
the   deceased  in   tliis  their  sore  bereavement,   commendinir 


36 


them  to  Him  who  alone  can  bind  up  tlieir  bruised  and  bleed- 
ing hearts. 

On  motion,  it  was  further 

Resolved,  That  it  be  recommended  to  the  Parishes  of  the 
Diocese,  to  drape  in  mourning  their  churches,  in  memory  of 
the  deatli  of  our  honored  Bishop. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  proceedings  be  transmitted 
to  the  family  of  the  deceased  ;  and  that  they  be  published  in 
the  City  and  Church  papers. 

F.  R.  HANSON,  Chairman. 

John  Y.  Gholson,  Secretary. 


(From  the  Minutes  of  the  Standing  Committee.) 

"Whereas  the  Right  Rev.  Nicholas  Hamner  Cobbs,  D.  D., 
late  Bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  in  the 
Diocese  of  Alabama,  entered  into  rest  on  the  11th  day  of 
January,  1861,  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  Diocese  desire 
to  place  upon  their  Records,  the  expression  of  their  un- 
feigned sorrow,  under  a  bereavement  so  afflicting. 

Called  to  the  Episcopate  of  Alabama  with  entire  unanimi- 
ty, A.  D.  1844,  after  a  long,  honorable  and  highly  successful 
ministry  in  Virginia,  during  sixteen  years  he  so  administered 
the  Diocese  as  to  secure  the  cordial  confidence,  respect  and 
love  of  the  whole  body  of  the  Clergy  and  Laity,  proving 
himself  to  be,  in  deed  and  in  truth,  a  Father  in  God,  whom 
living,  they  revered,  and  the  memory  of  whom  dead,  will 
ever  be  hallowed  among  them. 


3T 


A  Diocese  grown  up,  during  his  too  brief  administration, 
from  feebleness  to  its  present  goodly  measure  of  strength 
and  prosperity  ;  where  all  do  ''let  brotherly  love  continue," 
and  party  strife  has  not  been  known  among  them  ;  where 
Bishop,  Clergy,  and  Laity,  continuing  steadfastly  in  the  Apos- 
tles' doctrine  and  fellowship,  each  in  his  own  proper  sphere, 
have  together  contended  earnestly  for  the  Faith  once  deliver- 
ed to  the  saints,  and  where  no  "root  of  bitterness"  the 
while, has  sprung  up  to  trouble  them — a  Diocese,  under  God, 
built  up  thus  by  his  meekness  and  gentleness,  by  his  unaffec- 
ted humility,  by  the  fervency  of  his  piety  which  was  without 
pretence,  by  the  example  of  his  godly  life,  by  his  persuasive 
and  earnest  eloquence,  by  his  wise  and  prudent  counsels, 
by  his  "  good  report  with  those  that  are  without,"  by  his  love 
of  the  household  of  faith  and  of  the  things  that  make  for 
peace,  by  his  untiring  energy  and  abundant  labors— by  all 
such  virtues  and  graces  as  in  any  age  were  meet  to  adorn  a 
Bishop  of  the  Church  :  such  a  Diocese,  bereaved  of  such 
a  Bishop,  is  bereaved,  and  will  not  soon  cease  to  remember 
him  with  reverence  and  filial  affection,  nor  forget  the  abun- 
dance of  his  labors,  the  fragrance  of  his  holiness,  or  "the 
wisdom  and  the  spirit  by  which  he  spake." 

But  while  the  Committee,  in  common  with  the  whole  Dio- 
cese and  the  Church  at  large,  are  deeply  sensible  of  the  ir- 
reparable loss  of  one  whose  works  thus  do  follow  him — a 
loss  doubly  severe  because  of  the  perilous  times — they  dare 
not  sorrow  as  tho|p  without  hope,  because  "  blessed  are  the 
dead  who  die  in  the  Lord."  God  rules  in  Earth  as  in  Heaven, 
and  they  bow  in  reverence  to  the^iatof  His  will. 
.  To  the  afflicted  family  of  the  late  Bishop,  the  Committee 
tender  their  most  hearty  condolence  and  sympathy  in  this 
their  hour  of  anguish  and  sorrow,  and  commend  them  to  the 
tender  care  of  the  God  of  the  widow  and  the  fatherless. 


RESOI^UTIONS 
OF     THE     VESTRY     OF     ST.     JOHn's      CHURCH. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Vestry  of  St.  John's  Church,  Mont- 
gomery, held  on  Wednesday,  January  16th,  1861  ;  the  fol- 
lowing preamble  and  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted, 
and  ordered  to  be  published  in  the  city  papers. 

Whereas,  It  has  pleased  Almighty  God  to  call  to  his  "eter- 
nal rest,"  the  late  Rt.  Rev.  Nicholas  Hamner  Cobbs,  D.  D., 
for  the  space  of  sixteen  years  last  past  the  beloved  and  hon- 
ored Bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  Dio- 
cese of  Alabama,  and  from  May,  1853,  to  January,  1859,  the 
efficient  and  esteemed  Rector  of  this  Parish,  and  since  that 
time  a  resident  in  our  midst,  going  in  and  out  among  us,  and 
oftentimes  breaking  unto  us  "the  Bread  of  Life,"  and 
preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ  from  house  to  house  :  there- 
fore, be  it, 

Resolved,  By  the  Yestry  of  St.  John's  Church,  Mongomery, 
That  notwithstanding  our  profound  sense  of  the  incalculable 
loss  we  have  sustained  in  his  removal  from  Christ's  Church 
Militant,  we  will  not  only  endeavor  meekly  to  bow  in  humble 
submission  to  the  sovereign  will  of  Him,  "who  gave  and  hath 
taken  away,"  but  we  hereby  place  upon  the  records  of  this 
Parish,  this  testimony,  that  we  do  heartily  bless  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  by  whose  grace  to  him,  and  good  providence  to  us. 


39 


he  was  enabled,  in  both  relations  in  which  he  stood  to  us,  to 
minister  unto  us  such  holy  doctrine,  such  godly  admonition, 
such  wholesome  discipline,  such  wise  counsel,  such  tender  and 
affectionate  sympathy  in  all  our  joys  and  sorrows,  and  such 
an  example  of  godly  living,  as  shall  cause  his  memory  to  be 
blessed,  and  his  name  and  character  to  be  honored  among  us 
and  our  children,  to  the  latest  generation. 

Resolved,  That  the  wave  of  sorrow,  put  in  motion  by  the 
death  of  such  a  man  as  Bishop  Cobbs,  cannot  expend  itself 
on  the  shores  of  a  single  Diocese,  but  must  bear  its  sorrow- 
ful dirge  to  the  remotest  bounds  of  the  Church,  for  he  was 
one  of  the  truly  good,  and  wise,  and  great.  So  steadfast  for 
truth  and  duty,  yet  so  gentle  and  loving,  so  full  of  practical 
wisdom,  but  always  guided  by  meekness  and  patience,  so  no- 
ble and  valiant,  but  always  under  the  shadow  of  the  cross, 
and  true  to  that  blessed  ensign,  so  faithful,  so  diligent,  so 
self-denying,  so  wary  and  yet  so  innocent,  so  full  of  sound 
learning,  so  devout  and  yet  of  manners  so  free  from  austeri- 
ty, he  lived  and  he  died  a  man  and  a  Bishop,  whose  memory 
will  ever  live  in  the  affections  of  God's  people. 

Resolved,  That  to  his  widow  in  her  deep  affliction,  deep  as 
that  love  in  which  all  have  learned  in  some  degree  to  feel  a 
sympathetic  throb,  and  to  his  children  and  family,  we  tender 
our  heartfelt  condolence  in  their  great  bereavement. 

Hesolvcd,  That  the  church  be  draped  in  mourning  for  the 
space  of  six  months,  and  that  the  members  of  the  Yestry 
wear  the  badge  of  mourning  for  the  space  of  two  months. 

Resokec],  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  transmitted 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Yestry  to  the  family  of  the  deceased 
Bishop. 

The  following  resolutions  were  also  adopted  : 

RcsolvccJ,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Yestry  be  returned  to  the 


40 


Bishop  of  Georgia,  for  the  very  able,  eloquent  and  apprecia- 
tive sermon,  delivered  by  him  on  the  occasion  of  the  funenil 
of  the  late  Bishop  Cobbs. 

Resolved,  That  the  Senior  Warden  and  Secretary  be  ap- 
pointed a  committee,  to  present  the  above  resolution  to 
Bishop  Elliott,  and  to  request  a  copy  of  his  sermon  for  pub- 
lication. 

A  true  copy  from  the  records. 

A.  R.  BELL, 
Secretary,  St.  John's  Church,  Montgomery. 


Hollinger  Corp. 
pH  8.5 


